Question:
Did Saidatina Khadijah R.Anha ever narrate a hadith from the Prophet PBUH? I often hear the story of Saidatina Khadijah in the sirah of the Prophet PBUH and hadiths, but never come across a hadith that she narrated. This is different from Saidatine Aisyah who narrates numerous hadiths.
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
She is Umm al-Mu’minin Saidatina Khadijah binti Khuwailid bin Asad bin Abd al-‘Uzza bin Qusay bin Kilab, a woman leader during her time, the mother of the children of the Prophet PBUH, the first human being to believe in the message of the prophethood of the Prophet PBUH. She is also a very intelligent, honoured, obedient person, she is protected from insults and guaranteed a place in paradise. The Prophet PBUH often praises her and prioritized her from all his other wives.
She is the person that brought the Prophet PBUH to meet Waraqah bin Naufal, a scholar, after the Prophet PBUH met Gabriel and receive the first revelation. (Refer Siyar A’lam al-Nubalaa’ 2/109)
This incident is recorded in a hadith from Saidatina Aisayh R.Anha, where the Prophet PBUH was petrified after Gabriel came to him, then he returns home and said to Saidatina Khadijah:
" زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي ". فَزَمَّلُوهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الرَّوْعُ، فَقَالَ لِخَدِيجَةَ وَأَخْبَرَهَا الْخَبَرَ " لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي ". فَقَالَتْ خَدِيجَةُ كَلاَّ وَاللَّهِ مَا يُخْزِيكَ اللَّهُ أَبَدًا، إِنَّكَ لَتَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ، وَتَحْمِلُ الْكَلَّ، وَتَكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُومَ، وَتَقْرِي الضَّيْفَ، وَتُعِينُ عَلَى نَوَائِبِ الْحَقِّ. فَانْطَلَقَتْ بِهِ خَدِيجَةُ حَتَّى أَتَتْ بِهِ وَرَقَةَ بْنَ نَوْفَلِ بْنِ أَسَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعُزَّى ابْنَ عَمِّ خَدِيجَةَ ـ وَكَانَ امْرَأً تَنَصَّرَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، وَكَانَ يَكْتُبُ الْكِتَابَ الْعِبْرَانِيَّ، فَيَكْتُبُ مِنَ الإِنْجِيلِ بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ، وَكَانَ شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا قَدْ عَمِيَ ـ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ خَدِيجَةُ يَا ابْنَ عَمِّ اسْمَعْ مِنَ ابْنِ أَخِيكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ وَرَقَةُ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي مَاذَا تَرَى فَأَخْبَرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَبَرَ مَا رَأَى. فَقَالَ لَهُ وَرَقَةُ هَذَا النَّامُوسُ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى مُوسَى صلى الله عليه وسلم يَا لَيْتَنِي فِيهَا جَذَعًا، لَيْتَنِي أَكُونُ حَيًّا إِذْ يُخْرِجُكَ قَوْمُكَ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَوَمُخْرِجِيَّ هُمْ ". قَالَ نَعَمْ، لَمْ يَأْتِ رَجُلٌ قَطُّ بِمِثْلِ مَا جِئْتَ بِهِ إِلاَّ عُودِيَ، وَإِنْ يُدْرِكْنِي يَوْمُكَ أَنْصُرْكَ نَصْرًا مُؤَزَّرًا. ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنْشَبْ وَرَقَةُ أَنْ تُوُفِّيَ وَفَتَرَ الْوَحْىُ.
“Wrap me up, wrap me up! So they wrapped him till the fear had left him. He then said to Khadija: O Khadija! what has happened to me? and he informed her of the happening, saying: I fear for myself. She replied: It can't be. Be happy. I swear by Allah that He shall never humiliate you. By Allah, you join ties of relationship, you speak the truth, you bear people's burden, you help the destitute, you entertain guests, and you help against the vicissitudes which affect people.
Khadija then took him to Waraqa b. Naufal b. Asad b. 'Abd al-'Uzza, and he was the son of Khadija's uncle, i. e., the brother of her father. And he was the man who had embraced Christianity in the Days of Ignorance (i. e. before Islam) and he used to write books in Arabic and, therefore, wrote Injil in Arabic as God willed that he should write.
He was very old and had become blind Khadija said to him: O uncle! listen to the son of your brother. Waraqa b. Naufal said: O my nephew! What did you see? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), then, informed him what he had seen, and Waraqa said to him: It is namus that God sent down to Musa. Would that I were then (during your prophetic career) a young man. Would that I might be alive when your people would expel you!
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Will they drive me out? Waraqa said: Yes. Never came a man with the likes of what you have brought but met hostilities. If I see your day, I shall help you wholeheartedly.”
Sahih al-Bukhari (3) and Sahih Muslim (160)
Saidatina Khadijah was acknowledged by the Prophet PBUH as the best of a woman through a hadith narrated by Saidina Ali bin Abu Talib RA:
خَيْرُ نِسَائِهَا مَرْيَمُ ابْنَةُ عِمْرَانَ ، وَخَيْرُ نِسَائِهَا خَدِيجَةُ
"Mary, the daughter of `Imran, was the best among the women (of the world of her time) and Khadija is the best amongst the women. (of this nation).”
Sahih al-Bukhari (3432) and Sahih Muslim (2430)
According to Imam al-Nawawi, it could be understood from the hadith that Mary and Khadijah are both the best of women in their respective times. (Refer Syarh al-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim 15/176)
Furthermore, the Prophet PBUH never married another woman while Saidatina Khadijah was still alive. Saidatina Aisyah R.Anha said:
لَمْ يَتَزَوَّجْ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ حَتَّى مَاتَتْ
“Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) did not marry any other woman till her (Khadija's) death.”
Sahih Muslim (2426)
Saidatina Khadijah was also given the good news of paradise by Gabriel AS in a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah RA:
فَأَقْرِئْهَا مِنْ رَبِّهَا السَّلاَمَ وَبَشِّرْهَا بِبَيْتٍ مِنْ قَصَبٍ لاَ صَخَبَ فِيهِ وَلاَ نَصَبَ
“Convey to her a greeting from her Lord (Allah) and give her the glad tidings that she will have a palace in Paradise built of Qasab wherein there will be neither any noise nor any fatigue (trouble).”
Sahih al-Bukhari (7497)
Did Saidatina Khadijah Ever Narrate a Hadith?
Some scholars, such as Ibn Hibban and Ibnu al-jauzi categorized Saidatina Khadijah as among those who narrate a hadith from the Prophet PBUH. (Refer Al-Thiqaat 3/114 and Talqih Fuhum Ahl al-Athar pg. 258)
There is a hadith narrated by Saidatina Khadijah, through the sanad of Muhammad bin Ishaq, where Saidatina Khadijah said to the Prophet PBUH:
يَا ابْنَ عَمِّ ، هَلْ تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تُخْبِرَنِيَ بِصَاحِبِكَ هَذَا الَّذِي يَأْتِيكَ إِذَا جَاءَكَ ؟ قَالَ : ( نَعَمْ ) قَالَتْ : فَإِذَا جَاءَكَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي ، فَبَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عِنْدَهَا يَوْمًا ، إِذْ جَاءَهُ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ ، فَرَآهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالَ : ( يَا خَدِيجَةُ ، هَذَا جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَدْ جَاءَنِي ). قَالَتْ : أَتُرَاهُ الْآنَ ؟ قَالَ : ( نَعَمْ )
فَقَالَتْ : " فَاجْلِسْ إِلَى شِقِّي الْأَيْسَرِ " . فَجَلَسَ . فَقَالَتْ : هَلْ تَرَاهُ الْآنَ ؟ قَالَ : ( نَعَمْ ) قَالَتْ : " فَاجْلِسْ إِلَى شَقِّيَ الْأَيْمَنِ " . فَتَحَوَّلَ فَجَلَسَ . فَقَالَتْ : هَلْ تَرَاهُ الْآنَ ؟ قَالَ : ( نَعَمْ ) .
قَالَتْ : " فَتَحَوَّلَ فَاجْلِسْ فِي حِجْرِي " . فَتَحَوَّلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَجَلَسَ ، فَقَالَتْ هَلْ تَرَاهُ الْآنَ ؟ قَالَ : ( نَعَمْ ) ، فَتَحَسَّرَتْ ، فَأَلْقَتْ خِمَارَهَا ، فَقَالَتْ : هَلْ تَرَاهُ الْآنَ ؟ قَالَ : ( لَا ) قَالَتْ : " مَا هَذَا بِشَيْطَانٍ ، إِنَّ هَذَا الْمَلَكُ يَا ابْنَ الْعَمِّ ، فَاثْبُتْ ، وَأَبْشِرْ ".ثُمَّ آمَنَتْ بِهِ ، وَشَهِدَتْ أَنَّ الَّذِيَ جَاءَ بِهِ الْحَقُّ .
“O my brother (which is the Prophet PBUH, for the ancestry of the Prophet PBUH and Saidatina Khadijah meet at Abdul ‘Uzza), can you tell me regarding how Gabriel came to you? The Prophet PBUH answered, “yes, sure.”
Then one day when the Prophet PBUH was together with Khadijah, the Prophet PBUH was visited by Gabriel, the Prophet PBUH said: “O Khadijah, this is Gabriel, he has come to meet me.”
Khadijah said: “Is he here right now?” The Prophet PBUH answered: “Yes” Then, Khadijah said: “Sit on my left,” The Prophet PBUH did so and Khadijah asked again: “Is he still here now?” The Prophet PBUH answered: “Yes” Then, Khadijah said: “Sit on my right,” The Prophet PBUH did so and Khadijah asked again: “Is he still here now?” The Prophet PBUH answered: “Yes”
Then, Khadijah said: “Sit behind me,” The Prophet PBUH did so and Khadijah asked again: “Is he still here now?” The Prophet PBUH answered: “Yes”. Khadijah sighed and then took off her khimar and asked again: “Is he still here now?” The Prophet PBUH answered: “No”. Khadijah then said: “It is not shaytan that you see, indeed it is an angel, you should stay and tell this great news.” She then became a believer and bear witness that what has been revealed to the Prophet PBUH is the truth.
Narrated by al-Aajuri in al-Syari’ah (5/2189), Imam al-Baihaqi in Dala’il al-Nubuwwah (2/151) and Imam Tobarani (6435) with different wording. This narration is also stated in several renowned books among them are; Al-Muwafaqat by Imam al-Syatibi and Al-Khasa’is al-Kubra by Imam al-Suyuti.
According to Ibnu Hajar al-Haithami, the sanad (chain of narrators) for this hadith is hasan (good). (Refer Majma’ al-Zawa’id 8/259).
However, there is an issue on the sanad of the hadith where one of the narrators, Ismail bin Abi Hakim who has never met Khadijah R.Anha and there is no narration which states that he has heard the hadith from any of the Companions. This hadith is evaluated as mursal by Imam Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, while Syeikh Syu’aib al-Arna’ut evaluates the narrators of the hadith as thiqah (trustworthy), but the sanad is munqati’ (disconnected). (Refer Ma Syaa’a wa lam Yathbut fi al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah pg. 27; Fath al-Bari 8/591; Takhrij Siyar al-A’lam al-Nubala’ 2/116)
Conclusion
To conclude, there is a hadith that is said to be narrated from Saidatina Khadijah regarding the revelation to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, however, it is criticized in terms of its sanad by scholars but at the same time it is evaluated as hasan (good).
However, even if Saidatina Khadijah has never narrated a sahih (authentic) hadith, it does not degrade her stature of being the best woman of her time, the first person to believe the revelation and prophethood as well as guaranteed a place in paradise by Allah SWT as stated in the above-mentioned hadith.
Wallahua’lam.